"Onslow Ward"

Onslow Ward I am writing in to provide feedback on this ward. My brother Steve, who is severely disabled following a brain trauma 28 years ago, was sadly diagnosed with lymphoma in May. This was a shock to the Steve and to the family and we prepared ourselves for the worse, believing that he would never survive the severity of chemotherapy. We realised that we had a journey ahead on ground that was unknown territory and were fearful. Because of Steve’s additional issues (including pneumonia) it was agreed that he would remain in hospital after the first chemo for complete observation. He has difficulty communicating – having to rely on a letter board, which is time consuming for busy hospital staff. I have been more than impressed with the outstanding care provided by all of the staff on the ward. They have gone over and beyond the call of duty to ensure that Steve was comfortable and made every effort to work with his communication needs. The whole team – Consultant Oncologists, Nursing Staff, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Dieticians, SALT team and the person who arranges the discharge - I know I haven’t mentioned them all, but they have just been outstanding and nothing has proved to be too much trouble. They make every patient feel as if they are the only patient. On top of all of this has been the continuing support from another member of staff, who has been amazing, giving lots of time to me when I have called with concerns and questions. I should also mention that on arrival at the hospital when transferred from St Peters, even the A & E was of a notably higher standard with care and attention being plentiful, followed by his short stay in Albury ward where once again the team of nurses were fantastic and looked after him so well. No he has completed his 3rd chemo and is at home recovering, the home support arranged by the hospital has continued to be outstanding. Thank you so much for making the journey so far so good and I hope the staff all benefit in some way from this compliment.